How your hair can benefit from your Shrove Tuesday indulgences

Ah, Pancake Day. If it isn't the perfect example of how the British can get weirdly excited over a "celebration" dedicated to a certain food, we don't know what is. We'll definitely be jumping on the pancake trend, and, even though we're not sure our pancakes will be exactly Instagram-friendly, that's okay, because we'll be smug in the knowledge that the staple food of the day will be doing wonders for our hair. That's right, we're talking about pancakes for hair growth, strength, health and all that other important stuff. 

Bear with us on this one: you're probably wondering how scoffing your face with pancakes can make the slightest difference to your hair. And we're right there with you. It won't. But even if your actual pancakes (homemade or from-the-packet- we won't judge) don't exactly contain those hair-strengthening nutrients, you can get really creative with your toppings... and that's where you've got the chance to munch on the ingredients that your hair really loves. Who wants boring old sugar and lemon these days, anyway? 

Chia seeds

You've probably seen these in the healthy section of the supermarket recently and thought, WTF? But trust us when we say that even though Chia seeds look like the black bits in the fat balls you feed to birds, they actually taste pretty nice- and they're loaded with nutrients, antioxidants and all that other good stuff. Specifically, they’re high in protein, known for promoting healthy hair growth, as well as essential minerals zinc and copper, which prevent hair strands from splitting.  

With chia seeds, a little goes a long way. Including just a couple of tablespoons in your recipe is enough to meet half of your dosage recommendations for the day. You can choose to sprinkle chia seeds on top of your pancakes for a nice crunch, but we'd suggest actually adding a spoonful to your batter mix.

Chia seeds are incredibly absorbent, and are actually used as egg substitutes in vegan recipes, so they're great for thickening a runny batter- a potential Pancake Day disaster, we're sure you'll agree. And don’t worry, they won’t compromise the flavour of your pancakes. In fact, if anything, they’ll make them taste better. They have a subtle, nutty flavour that works well to compliment sweet and savoury dishes, but if you’re anything like us, you probably won’t even notice you’ve added them.

Honey

You might be more familiar than using honey in homemade hair masks than eating it for hair-growth purposes, but it turns out adding honey to your pancakes might just be the way forwards when it comes to healthy, strong hair. Unlike many artificial pancake sweeteners out there, honey is rich in antioxidant properties, which prevent damage to the hair and keep your scalp healthy. It is also an emollient, and seals moisture in hair, keeping it hydrated and conditioned for longer.

We don’t really have to tell you how to add honey to your pancakes, do you? The easiest way is to drizzle a little on the top- don’t worry about adding it to your batter mix or anything fancy like that. Top with some nuts for extra hair-based brownie points. Remember, although honey is a natural alternative, it’s still high in sugar content, so we suggest using it in moderation (although we can’t be certain we will follow our own advice come Shrove Tuesday).

Bananas

We appreciate that bananas are very much a love-it-or-hate it when it comes to tropical fruits, but it’s time we all started loving them- seriously. Bananas are incredibly high in folic acid, which makes hair sleek, shiny and moisture-rich. They’re also a great source of potassium, which has been found in multiple studies to reduce hair loss.

It’s become something of a trend in the fitness sphere recently to include bananas in your pancake batter mix, alongside egg, milk, oil and all the other usual ingredients. Bizarrely, it’s also possible to make pancakes our of just bananas and eggs. This is said to be good for health (high in protein, low in fat, et cetera), and useful for people with food intolerances (gluten free, dairy free and all that jazz). If health and fitness is your thing, give the two-ingredient banana pancake recipe a try for us, would you?

Failing that, it is, of course, totally acceptable to say, “Who’s got time for that fuss?” and simply chop up your banana to decorate your pancake as is traditional. And then drizzle with your honey. And sprinkle with chia seeds. Sounds perfect to us.